The Assembly of the Tribes was a democratic body which represented all Roman citizens. It was divided into 35 tribes. The division did not represent 35 ethnic groups, but it was elaborated using geographical criteria. Sometimes these criteria were vague, as the tribe membership was inherited from parents to children and heirs might have moved from the original geographic area. 31 were rural tribes and 4 were urban tribes.
In the reunions of the Assembly of the Tribes, all the tribes gathered to decide on legislative, electoral and judicial matters. Each tribe had one vote. Direct democracy was exercised by Romans. Therefore, decisions were taken by majority vote inside each of the tribes first, where all citizens voted, and then each tribe brought the option they had previously decided to the assembly.